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This evening the commerce area of the Svajone has plenty of people in it. Some are buying stuff in shops, some are window shopping. And off in one section is what looks like a collection of people and several computer systems, most intently focused on the action over there.
A graying blonde man in a bowler hat is walking along the stretch of the business circle, stripping off a flour-stained Caral Irit's apron and loosening his tie a bit, looking worn out. He starts to head for one of the clothing shops, taking his time and walking with measured, slow steps.
Shok arrives in the business circel for the first time and looks around at the many businesses wandering around a bit not sure where to head first.
A low scuttling noise surrounds a dark insectoid that makes his way through the circle, antennae akimbo and swivelling with curiosity. Wings occasionally vibrate as Acran pauses to observe some item of note or another. The gathering catches his attention and he begins to wander towards it.
From a distance, a six foot tall black furred Pyracani barks loudly, seeming to be quite happy with something or other, turning from the computer systems and people towards the landing bay.
Frn'Zxk'Fkg is skittering along, a fancy bowler hat balanced precariously upon his head, carrying about a quadruple armful of packages.
Alin's steps slow to a stop as he spots someone else wearing a bowler hat-- Only, it's a giant insect. The Fastheldian's blue eyes go entirely wide for a moment, but then he tips his own bowler and declares approvingly in a gravelly tenor, "Nice hat."
Shok looks around at the bark from a Pyracani and heads that way once he sees him. A conversation with a fellow bipedal dog might be interesting.
Acran passes the Pyracani. What's another mammal, anyway? He arrives at the collection of beings and tilts his head to ascertain what could have drawn them, his mandibles clicking idly.
"Radiance!" the black Pyracani shouts out loud suddenly, looking down at the PDA in his hand. He's leaving a section of the commerce area that looks to be several people and some computer equipment.
Frn'Zxk'Fkg pauses and turns to greet Alin, picking up his hat with a claw and tipping it politely in the man's direction. He click-clacks a greeting.
Alin actually grins, a surprising expression on his normally stiff features. Replacing his hat, he glances over at the mass around the electronics items, looking somewhat uncomprehendingly at them.
Shok keeps approaching the Pyracani and gives a casual "Hello." When he gets close enough.
Acran hears a faint sound that is vaguely familiar and turns towards the Odarite. He studies the other insectoid curiously for a moment, antennae twitching, before skittering towards him.
Newt approaches the group quietly, trying to spot what may or may not be of interest without attracting too much attention.
"Hi. I'd love to talk for a bit but I have a problem, so it can wait, right?" The Pyracani says to Shok. "Some byot crew on my freighter got picked up by security." then the black Pyracani raises his voice. "I have an urgent shipment and I need emergency crew /now/!" he emphasizes, looking a bit despearate in his plea.
Frn'Zxk'Fkg replaces the hat on his head, and continues about his business, when catches Acran approaching him. His antennae wave in that direction. "Click click?"
Alin watches the Pyricani with the PDA, and slowly approaches the duo, once again tipping his hat and clearing his throat. "I beg your pardon, er, sir.." He hesitates then asks, "Exactly what do you need, and you are paying a wage, yes?"
Shok offers his own services saying "I'll help. As he said for pay of course. Not sure what you need though."
Wait ... work? Acran's antennae quirk upwards at the possibility of this necessity of modern life. ~As much as I would prefer to speak with you,~ he sends to the Odarite, clacking his mandibles, ~One does not turn down potential employment in my current position.~ With that, he scuttles off towards the needy Pyracani. Never fear! Help is on the way!
Newt pipes up, "Hey. You need a pilot?"
"Yes!" The black Pyracani says to Alin. "Know anything about animals or cargo handling? That's what I need most right now." he says to him. Then he raises his voice again, somewhat like a bark at first, "Need emergency freighter crew, will pay a premium, quick run!" he insists. Then as Newt comes in, "Pilot?" pause, "Sure." seeming someone more confident as people come forward.
Frn'Zxk'Fkg flicks his antennae, and shuffles off in the same direction as Acran, curious to see what's going on.
"Sir Newt!" Alin exclaims, looking down at the green-suited fellow and smiling. "I didn't know you were a pilot. Oh, aye, I'm good with animals, and I've worked with cargo before, mostly loading and unloading." He adds, the last bit to the black pyracani, rubbing at his mutton-chop whiskers.
Shok shrugs "I can do logistical stuff and if things go south I'm good with a gun and can hit things pretty hard. That good enough for you?"
~I would be interested,~ Acran sends towards the Pyracani, ~I am not very knowledgeable about animals, but I know my way around a ship pretty well. In almost every area."
As Acran and Shok make their offers the Pyracani pauses for a moment, "Yeah, good enough." he says, a bit exasperated. "Anyone else?" he asks. "So many byot crew. Lotorians getting themselves into trouble here." he grumbles a little.
Newt grins, "Cool. I'm in." To Alin he says, "Totally. Best there is."
Frn'Zxk'Fkg skitters over and peers at the Pyracani as well. He clicks his mandibles together. "Bzzzzzt." He buzzes. "Where to? *click*"
"Well, now I know. Hey, that reminds me, I need to introduce you to my lady sometime. Turns out she made it here too.. Been saving up for a ring, and such." Alin responds to Newt, smiling down at him. He dusts himself off, prepared to follow.
Shok nods and begins following the Pyracani now silent since there is a job to do and possible decisions to be made.
"A space station called the Keant." the Pyracani answers. "If you're coming tell me what you do and I'll figure it out on the way, but this run is urgent and I can't wait for those byot Lotorians to get done being asked questions." and with that he starts towards the landing bay.
~I have worked in engine rooms, flight decks, and cargo holds,~ Acran sends, moving along with the Pyracani, ~I am equally useful in all of them.~
Newt fallows along, keeping up with Alin, "Yea? That's pretty cool. What's her name?"
Frn'Zxk'Fkg looks up at the Pyracani and waves his antennae. He demonstrates his talents by juggling a few of the packages he's carrying, and then makes makes a flexing gesture, which doesn't quite work with his insectoid arms.
"Katriana.. Not to be confused with Katrin, my former boss. She works with the horses down on the Equinox ranch." Alin murmurs to Newt, following along as he does so. "She's a good lass, an' I missed working with the horses too, so I go down there when I'm off work usually. She'll understand if I don't show up tonight though, I think."
"Yeah, come along." The black Pyracani says to Frn as he continues along. Eventually they see a tube from the docking bay leading to a rather large freighter. There's some stuff already being loaded by machine.
Shok keeps moving listening mostly to the conversation between Alin and Newt. Other than that he merely keeps following the needy black Pyracani.
Acran begins making his way towards the freighter, its image appearing countless times in his unblinking eyes as he skitters forward.
Newt nods, "Saw a horse on Pyrcan I think. It looked big... and uncomfortable."
The landing bay currently has a large freighter attached to the station via tube, and freight going through it. Quite a bit of it.
"Speaking of horses.." Alin murmurs, squinting at the freighter as the group approaches it, pushing up on his toes to get a better view. "Mmh, I think this involves them somehow. That's tack and kits, a lot of 'em. I wonder what kind of bits they use?"
~What's a horse,~ Acran sends back, somewhat distractedly as he studies the vessel with critical, if expressionless, eyes. Lots of them.
"Get a machine and start loading." The black Pyracani says to the group as a whole. Then to Newt, "You start doing the preflight exams, keep us up to date over the comm." and to Acran, "You know engines? Start it up, keep us posted..." a pause, "Hm. That telepathy work over range? Use that." as for the Pyracani himself, he gets a hoverjack and lifts a set of equipment, starting to carry it onto the ship."
"Hey! Hey!" Aikani calls as she darts from the far end of the landing bay towards the group at the freighter, "Heeeeeeey." Her voice rings as she nears, haphazard path making it a narrow miss for being tripped over more than once, "Lemme help too!"
Shok goes over to a machine and begins working saying to nobody in particular "Grunt work is fine with me."
Frn'Zxk'Fkg skitters along and helps shok.
"Get a jack and start moving stuff!" The black Pyracani shouts as Aikani comes along.
Newt looks up at the Pyracani and nods, "Will do." and begins to head off to do his stuff.
The Mekke makes his way towards the engine room, following conduits to their source. Once there, his head swivels about, antennae twitching wildly until he finds the controls. ~Ah,~ he sends, beginning to work technocratic magic, causing the ship to whirr to life, ~There we go. Simple enough.~
Alin obediently moves towards the jacks, looking over the gear eagerly. He asks of the black Pyracani as he wroks, "Is another ranch opening up? I didn't think there were this many horses that made it to Hiverspace."
Skittering to a halt near Alin, the kit takes a quick moment to dust herself off and salute the Pyracani. Distracted by talk of horses - a beast she does not know - the kit moves over under the pretense of helping Alin, so she can listen and learn more, wide, bright eyes giving away her interest.
"No idea!" the black Pyracani says to Alin. "I just know it's going to a space station in some byot moonless Outverser system!"
Newt pipes up over the comms, "Navigation systems operational and engines... yeah, now good. Just getting a course going and stuff."
Shok keeps working silently. He doesn't appear to be a very social Pyracani right now.
Alin purses his lips in a silent whistle, going back to work. He murmurs to Arcan, somewhat belatedly, "A horse is, well, a quadruped riding animal, they can move people and wagons and such. Pre-technology stuff." He pauses to secure a crate that looks a bit loose.
Acran taps an indicator with a pincered claw, tilting his head. ~I have a strange reading on the coolant level in intake number four,~ Acran sends up to the cockpit, ~Are you reading it up there?~
The good news is that the pile is getting smaller as the people working on cargo make progress.
"Are they big?" Aikani asks of Alin, the kit peeking out from around the pile of crates on the one side of the jack, fuzzy handpaws presumably making sure they're secure.
Newt uhs, over the intercome before replying, "Yup. Be nice not to have to fly with that."
"Depends on the horse.. A riding one like a River Trotter might be seventeen, twenty hands high, a draft horse like a Highmount is much bigger. Bigger'n any of us, anyways." Alin manhandles one of the jacks to get another crate in, securing it fastidiously.
~I will check it out,~ the insectoid sends in reply from the engine room. He turns a few knobs, flips a few switches, checks the coolant level visually, then sends up, ~Is that better?~
"Hands?" Aikani further inquires, stepping back as Alin takes care of getting the jack in and securing the crates. She looks at one of her paws, ear flicking gently, "You measure with your hands?"
And the black Pyracani secures one more set of cargo into the main hold. "Okay, finish it up!" he says to the other cargo loaders.
Shok Shok loads the last of the cargo and gets off the machine to ask the Pyracani "Board the shp now I assume?"
Newt smiles to himself, "Yup. That looks cool. I reckon we're ready to fly now."
~Excellent,~ the Mekke replies, then looks over his own instruments, ~The ship is prepared for departure.~
With his last crate loaded, Alin puts the jack away and jogs up the loading ramp with booted footsteps, removing his bowler to wipe at his forehead with a hankerchief.
Kani pads up the ramp after Alin, perplexed frown pulling at her brow, ears pulled back a bit, "How do you measure in hands when everyone has different sized hands?"
Frn'Zxk'Fkg skitters aboard. Skitter skitter.
"Everyone get in." The black Pyracani says, disconnecting the boarding tube. Then to engineering, "Prepare for cana on my mark and provide power to the thrusters. Rest of you ask the Supreme One that the byot bristle-furred pilot got the coordinates right." then a pause, "Three, two, one. Mark." he announces allowed.
Shok jogs up the ramp waiting behind Frn still sporting the new shorts the bug previously gave him.
~Thrusters receiving power ... now,~ Acran sends up, the lights of his control panel putting on quite a show in his compound eyes.
Alin rubs at his mutton-chop whiskers, musing, "I always thought Newt was a bit young for a pilot.. Learn something new every day." To Kani, he adds, "Well, I'm from a place without exact measurements, but over time it was regularized and there's a stick a certain length that one counts as a hand." He falls silent for the launch.
"Oh... huh." Kani murmurs, ears coming forward. She settles herself in for launch.
And with power to the thrusters, the large freighter slowly begins to make distance from the station. The black Pyracani for his own part seems pretty used to launch routine. "So how many horses is all this stuff good for?" he asks, mostly Alin who seems to be knowledgeable here. "I've ridden Rickirr but these sound different."
Shok sits down and preps for launch just in time for it to happen. He turns to Frn and mentions "The new shorts are nice by the way."
"Lots. More'n we had in Fastheld, and that was thousands. More than they have at the Equinox ranch, that's for sure." Alin responds, leaning back during the launch with obvious distaste for the procedure. "I find it hard to fathom where they got that many, actually."
Newt's sitting in the pilot/nav seat, happily tapping away, "Ok. We're off..." He taps the console with a gloved finger and the ship jumps, "Now."
Aikani sits quietly for a moment, paws absently kneading and pulling at the torso of her jumpsuit, kit looking thoughtful. Her ears perk up soone nough and mismatched eyes focus on Alin once more, "Do horses taste good?"
Shok smirks when Aikani asks this and replies "I hope he doesn't know. You shouldn't be eating your primary mode of transportation."
~Everything seems to check out down here,~ Acran sends up from below, all four arms working his control panel.
"Eh, well, they're a bit gamey. Generally only something you eat in an emergency or if you're starving. Much more useful as transport." Alin replies, with a passive shrug as he makes no comment on whether or not he's actually eaten one before.
"Good to hear." the black Pyracani says to engineering, then he starts heading towards one of the other cargo bays. "Same people had me deliver some of their other animals about a week ago too." he comments. "Still haven't cleaned out that bay from its su-te scent yet."
"Gamey's not /too/ bad. " Kani murmurs, licking her lips a little bit as she tries to imagine what a horse looks like.
Newt pipes up from his console, "I still reckon they're too uncomfortable to want to ride."
~What do they eat?~ Acran sends up from the bowels of the ship. Apparently the comm is open.
"How many did they have you ship?" Alin asks of the black pyracani, looking genuinely interested in the idea of more horses. "Hay, usually.. Fodder, grass, they're herbivores. For a special treat offer one a lump of sugar or an apple."
Shok keeps sitting silently waiting for the arrival at the destination.
"Have to look up the logs." The black Pyracani says. "Hundred or so, I'd say." though he looks at the door to one of the bays, making a show of blocking his nostrils. "Don't know what you'd need with horses on a station."
"Maybe to eat!" Kani pipes up enthusiastically, chirruping merrily, "I wanna eat one sometime!"
Alin shakes his head at Kani, looking bemused at the thought. "Can't imagine, either. They're creatures for planetside and outdoors, not inside. But the tackle's pretty humane looking, they're not using curb bits or anything." He chuckles at the thought of horses in a hold, adding, "Can't imagine that many smelled good, in proximity. Good luck de-odorizing the hold."
Newt asks, "Curb bits? What are those?"
"If you ever have one, tell me how they taste. Not sure if it's Outverser cuisine or not." the black Pyracani says. "Should be there soon." he adds as a comment.
Alin says, "You guide a horse by the head with reins, those are straps of leather, and a bit is a portion that goes behind the teeth to help a horse heed the commands. They come in all kinds of different designs, and some of the nastier ones can really damage the tongue and mouth. The ones they have here, though, they look like they're made of that, whatchacallit..? Modern stuff from here, not metal. Anyways, these ones are flexible, should be gentle on 'em. I wonder if they'll let me see them?"
~We did not have any animal life on Ist'thol'Mek,~ Acran sends up idly, ~The planet was rather inhospitable.~
"Okay, I will!" Aikani promises to the black Pyracani, giving a nod. The slightly chubby Lyiri kit smiles to herself in a pleased fashion, likely imagining more about the beasts in question.
Newt ohs, "That sounds pretty..." He pauses, tapping away, "Uncomfortable." And then the ship drops out, "We're almost here."
As the ship drops out the comms come to life with a transmission from the station. "This is Doctor Richard Oldast of the Keant. Request for identi--" a pause from the station's side. "It's Auff with another shipment." he can be heard saying, presumably to someone in the background. "Prepare the boarding tube." he says back at the comm. The black Pyracani himself raises an ear, "Ah, we're here!" he says. "Thank the Supreme One they aren't complaining about timing." seeming a bit relieved.
Shok nods at this assessment and waits for the ship to land to help unload all the cargo. He ponders a moment as well though just what a horse would taste like.
~So ... about payment,~ Acran sends from downstairs, a slightly awkward feeling coming with the transmission.
Newt begins alignment procedures after the ship gets close enough. Anyone looking at a view screen and getting their bearings from that would think the ship were upside down by the end of manouvers. There is an audible 'clunk' for those near enough the docking area but that's about it. The ship moved and stopped imperceptibly smoothly. "We're docked."
Standing, Alin stretches out, looking relieved to be aground (sort of) again. He gets ready to help unload, looking curiously over at Auff after hearing the voice on the speakers.
"I'll get everyone their credsticks." Auff assures everyone. "I'll get started on unloading." then a pause, "And I'll figure out how to spring those Lotorians out of whatever trouble they got themselves into."